Motor-fuel-testing composition



Patented den. 18, N27.

IKOTOR-FUE L TES TI tiara-3 wars, or VIENNA,

LNG COMPOSITION.

N0 Drawing. Application filed August 18, 1823, Serial No. 657,819, and in Italy December 21, 1922.

This invention relates to a motor fuel testing composition and to the method of using the same. I

An object of the invention is to provide a motor fuel testing fluid which permits one to distinguish the characteristics of any given motor fuel readily without any need of study and experience in testing fuel and without the necessity of having a chemical laboratory.

A further object is to provide a motor fuel testing composition and method of using the same which will permit one to distinguish the presence or absence of a number of ingredients which may be contained in the motor fuel, such as alcohol, tetraline, petroleum, benzol, benzine, and heavy hydrocarbons.

A further object concerns the provision of a testing fluid and method of using, which will permit one not only to discover the ingredients of a given grade of fuel, but also to readily estimate the percentage of such ingredients.

A further object concerns the provision of a fluid and method of use, which permits the exclusion of any personal judgment in determining the results of a test.

A further object concerns the provision of a testing fluid and the method of using, which makes the test independent of the quality of the reagents used by reason of the fact that a well determined testing fluid is employed.

The purpose of this invention, in general, is to provide a fluid and a method of using, whereby the ordinary person can take a small quantity of motor fuel and by following out the proper simple procedure, decide rapidly upon the fitness of any fuel for motors as well as the ingredients which may be in said fuel which would make it unfit for use.

Particularly, this invention is concerned with a. rapid and simple determination of the fitness of benzine for motors as Well as other ingredients which may be combined therewith, such as benzol, alcohol, tetraline, petroleum, and other heavy hydrocarbons of petroleum. In general, this purpose is achieved by using a reactive fluid which will completely dissolve the benzol and the alcohol, but only to a minor extent when tetra line, benzine and petroleum are present.

In using this reactive fluid certain coloring media are also used, preferably of .dif- 'ferent colors and capacities as to solution in the various ingredients of the fuel, and

also having different specific gravities relative to each other and to the reactive fluid, whereby when the fluid and these media are added to a given quantity of fuel, there will take place dissolving actions which will result, under certain conditions, in the formation of one or more bands of color, the formation and relative dispositions of which will enable the person testing to determine the character of the fuel. For instance, such a reactive'fiuid as may be used, is a solution of carbolic acid or amyl acetate. To this fluid, a retarding solution of acetic acid may be added if the action is to be slow, or an accelerating agent, as a solution of alcohol, if the action is desired to be fast. Assuming that we add to the reactive fluid two coloring media, one blue and one yellow, differing not only in color but in solubility in the various ingredients or constitutents of the fuelto be tested. "Assuming that the yellow medium or agent is soluble in fats while the blue insoluble in fats. However, when combined with the reactive fluid and before being mixed with the fuel, the .yellow and blue media combine to give a greenish color to the liquid or. fluid. hen, therefore, a given quantity of fuel, say a small amount, such as 3 cubic centimeters, is put in a testtubeand apprOXimatelylO cubic centimeters of the colored reactive fluid is added thereto, the fluid will immediately dissolveany benzol and alcohol which may be present, and especially if the other ingredients, such as tetraline, benzine and petroleum, are not present in too large amounts. In this event the color of the solution will remain green, which shows that the alcohol and benzol predominate. However, if a yellow ring, within a minute or two, is formed below a blue ring or stratum, this indicates that tetraline is present in appreciable amounts, because tetraline in which the yellow coloring medium is dissolved, has a specific weight or gravity greater than that of the reactive fluid.

On the other hand, if a blue stratum is formed below a yellow one, this would indicate that petroleum predominates or is present because the petroleum which dissolves the yellow coloring medium has a less specific gravity than the reactive fluid.

As examples of the coloring media which can be used, we refer to the following:

Yellow, dimethylamido-azobenzol; blue, cyanin, iodcyanin, gentiana 6 B, Victoria b; red, alcannin.

Heavy oils can be distinguished from each other when they are present in the fuel inthe following manner, that is, when adding more reactive fluid to the amounts above mentioned, the difference of the two colored strata disappears and all of the fluid becomes uniformly green. If previously the yellow band or stratum has been at the bot;

tom and now disappears, this will indicate the neutralization'of the tetrahne and the absence of heavy OllS, whereas if the yellow band remains at the bottom 1t will indicate the presence of heavy oils in which the yellow coloring medium contlnues to be dissolved. Therefore, by adding more or less reactive fluid, its dissolving power may cause a combination of the colored bands ter they have once been formed, and thereby give an ldea from the amount of reactive fluid required to do this, of the percentages Step 3.Mixing the same amount of liquids" as before, if the mixture becomes divided into a yellow stratum above a blue one, the fuel is benzine.

St6204r-1f in accordance with Step 3, there is benzine, a test of its purity may be had when an additional quantity of reactive fluid is added. In accordance with the amount of this additional fluid which is needed to make the yellow zone on the top disappear and to render the mixture all green, it is possible on the basis of the scale to determine the percentage of petroleum in the benzine.

It is well known in accordance with methods now used for testing motor fuel, that special apparatus and laboratories, considerable time and labor, and a great amount of skill and special knowledge, are required. By this process,'however, we enable anyone who is capable of following simple directions to tell what kind of motor fuel he is getting.

Instead of carbolic acid and amyl acetate for the reactive fluid, we can use any of the following '1. Alcohol aethyl and anilin'.

2. Alcohol aethyl, benzol and acetic acid. 3. Amyl acetate and acetic acid.

4. Alcohol butylic and glycerin.

Themain characteristic required of the reactive fluid is thatit be an ingredient or a combination of ingredients capable of dissolving certain constituents of the fluid, and also having therein ingredients which retard this solution as desired. I

lVith regard to the coloring media, these, as mentioned above, should be differently soluble in the several ingredients.

It is obvious that by merely pouring small quantities of the fuel and the testing fluid into a test tube and being able in a minute or two, to see distinctly and difierently colored bands form in the tube, makes a test one which anybody can clearly carry out and judge without needing to have special skill or knowledge.

,lVha-t we claim is:

1. A testing fluid for rapidly determining the fitness of benzine for motors, characterized by the fact that it includes carbolic acid, and an organic acid.

2. A testing fluid for motor fuel, which includes carbolic acid and an ingredient which retards the action of the carbolic acid in the fuel.

3. A testing fluid for motor fuels, which includes carbolic acid and acetic acid.

a. A testing fluid for motor fuels, which includes a reactive ingredient in which alcohol and benzol are soluble and two differently colored media, one of which is soluble in petroleum, tetraline, and benzine, and the other of which is insoluble therein.

VITTORIO SERPAVALLO. EDMUND VVEIS. 

